Okay, once again I didn't think that this quite applied to me, and then answers started coming, so I guess it did. I want to try answering the questions too.

1. How did the dragon (cloud to me) come to be?
Abuse and neglect are probably going to be big factors for just about all of us I would guess. My parents never meant to be abusive, but they were psychologically unavailable. They never showed emotion in front of the children. They also denied my individuality. I always had to just be cute and stay out of the way and never bother anyone.

2. How did the dragon grow?
Continued emotional invalidation. As a teenager I was continually told that I was selfish and that my feelings were wrong. Even when my parents weren't around, my younger sister was always there and made sure that if I tried to express myself that everyone knew I was just selfish and wrong.

3. What is the (cloud) about?
It is a screen that covers my feelings so they don't get me into trouble.

4. What does the dragon want?
To be safe, and to be free to feel.

5. How can we help the dragon?
permission to have feelings, emotional validation

6. What can we learn from the dragon?
Misery and pain are intense feelings. Those are the feelings that the cloud knows. Maybe other feelings could be real also. Broaden the range and intensity of emotions.

7. How will we re-integrate the dragon?
Acknowlege feelings and emotions.

That was hard. Thanks.

<font color=blue>Life is filled with tragedy; if you let it overwhelm you, you cannot enjoy life's innocent pleasures. -Robert Heinlein</font color=blue>